


you and me but never us

by pepperclay



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 12:43:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8014456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepperclay/pseuds/pepperclay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a series of almost interactions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you and me but never us

The first time they met, Elsa thought the girl was cute, nothing more.

Of course she was a redhead, had freckles, petite body, bright blue (green?) eyes, freckles and a bright illuminating smile. They were both in the campus bookstore by chance and at this moment, they were talking about what books they needed for classes. Elsa only went part time as a senior, on account of a job she had so really, two library books and only paying one hundred fifty for a math book seemed like nothing with the refund grant money she got a week earlier. She learned the girl's name, Anna, and that she was just a freshman so general education courses a plenty and that meant a least five books and only a little bit of money left over for anything else she wanted.

"Enjoy this year while it lasts," The blonde said "because soon you'll be an adult, and do boring things like paying bills and getting a job."

"I don't think it will be boring, I mean, you get to do a lot of other cool stuff as an adult."

"Such as?"

"Parties! Dating! Moving out of my parents home, the sweet release of freedom!"

_How naive._ Elsa thought, listening to the younger woman's excitement. _Growing up isn't what you think it is. It wasn't what I thought, that's for sure._

* * *

They briefly talked a few more times after that, mostly through the school's cafe, early in the morning to get coffee. Then it progressed down to waving and asking how the other was when crossing paths. Elsa noticed that Anna was usually surrounded by people, talking rapidly with the other students, and usually the same two or so people tend to stay around her at all times. They were both men, one was a tall muscled blonde and the other a redhead of moderate stature, but not as broad shouldered as the other. Both were equally attractive in their own way, Elsa didn't really care about their physical attractiveness beyond just making this observation since lesbianism tended to fuck with her.

_So she's straight._ Which was an odd thought considering that the blonde always assumed that any woman she came across was straight, 95% of the time she was right. The other 5% she was pleasantly surprised at thought much to her disappointment, she didn't feel any attraction to any of them. There was also a lot of self doubt when it came to romancing to Elsa, for one thing, it was difficult for her to trust people. Only because of her first and only girlfriend…

_Stop thinking about that, it's been almost five years since then, calm down._ The now ex-girlfriend did affect her more than she thought however, just 'getting over it' was difficult. Before she knew it, a lit cigarette was in her hand, half of it already reduced to ash. The blonde woman knows that this is a reflex, a simple tick.

When she looks up from her cigarette Anna and her companions are gone.

* * *

The next time they met, it was around Halloween.

Specifically at a the annual Halloween Dance/Party, the only problem was that Elsa was miserable beyond belief. It was starting to get into the colder temperatures, it rained on the way from her car to the building on campus were this was held and worst of all, she was pried away from her movies and books to go to this. She blames her roommate, because while Belle is a wonderful woman to be rooming with, the French woman had a tendency to try to get Elsa to be more social. Introverts be damned.

" _Come on Elsa, you can wear the damn wings." Belle said, holding a pair of cloth demon wings, flapping them for emphasis._

" _Seriously Belle, when you said that you were going to party, I thought it would just be you and you alone. And I'm already fine with this outfit." She gestures to the outfit in question, a simple homemade witches outfit for when she went to the party for the only time as a freshman._

" _Yeah, but I decided that you could get out more. You know, make friends."_

" _I have you."_

" _Elsa, you need more than just me."_

" _No I don't"_

" _You also need actual real people, not fictional characters."_

" _Why Belle I'm shocked, I think that my fictional friends would be very offended by such slander."_

" _Well they can live without you for one night. Now, the wings please?"_

_The brunette looks at her, somehow begging and glaring at the same time and Elsa, not being able to resist cute girls in the first place soon surrenders to her friends whims. And putting the damn wings over her back and twirling around for her roommate's satisfication. "Happy?"_

" _I am, now lets go!"_

Now of course Belle has gone off with her boyfriend Adam and leaving her to the wolves. Again.

It wasn't bad at the moment, the blonde had decided to stay in one of the corners of the room next to a booth with a window, she could just easily people watch and drink punch and just wait it out till either Belle comes back or the more likely outcome of her just going back to the dorm by herself.

Yet she saw a familiar head of red hair coming towards her and waving frantically.

"Elsa you're here!" Anna said upon getting close enough to the woman to actually talk to her, she was dressed up as a angel. _Why am I not surprised?_ Elsa thought.

"Yes I'm here, you look nice."

"Thanks! It was mostly my roommates idea, and wow! That's a really nice costume!"

"Thank you, the wings were also a roommates idea…though she seems to have abandoned me for her boyfriend at the moment."

"Ugh really? Man, I totally hate that stuff right now!"

"What stuff?"

"Love stuff! Romance stuff…boyfriends mostly."

"Tell me about it then, you'll feel better."

So there they sat on the booth, solo cups filled with punch and a small plate of chips and cookies between them while Anna vented to Elsa about her love life and all that she did for the past three months. Turns out the redheaded man that Elsa saw her with was named Hans, he was charming, romanced her, told her all these wonderful things that they would have together. Then during the second month of them being a couple, it turned out that he was cheating on her with at least five other women, the only reason that Anna got out of him (screaming at him and crying in front of his dorm room at 4 am) was that she wouldn't have sex with him until they were married. So hence him getting it from somewhere else.

Elsa toyed with one of her unlit cigarettes, tapping it against the table. "So he's an asshole basically….I'm sorry he hurt you, but from the sounds of it, you got out of there before it was too late."

"Yeah, sounds like it."

"You're still hurt though."

"Mmhm…I am."

"Well…" Elsa paused to look out the window for a moment. "This is going to sound cliche but you'll find someone better, someone who will actually treat you right."

Anna twirled the end of one of her braids with her hand in thought. "I suppose, right now though I want to enjoy being single. Besides, who would even want me right now anyway?"

The blonde had to bite back her time from saying that she would want her. It was odd. Why would Elsa want her? Sure, Anna was attractive and seemed to be a really nice girl, but that could be any girl really. You just change the name and the face. Besides, they didn't know each other that well besides the basic 'you like x' and 'your major is y'. Still, Elsa said that someone somewhere would want the redhead, she would just have to be patient, take her time figuring out herself, don't rush it. _I wish I could once take my own advice._

Anna took the advice fine enough and soon the blonde man that Elsa saw came over to find the redhead. She found out his name was Kristoff and then soon Anna was gone with a quick goodbye and a short hug.

The warmth from that hug stayed with her throughout the night.

* * *

"Hey Elsa."

"Oh, hello there Anna."

Elsa just got done with the last of her finals. It was 9pm and pitch black outside but she could tell that snow was falling. Odd, since December was the mildest of all the winter months, usually by February and March the snow would just keeping falling and piling. Still, now that she was used to the cold the snow seemed nice.

So the two women were beat, mostly mentally and emotional because of finals. And to remedy this? Food, with sugar and glorious calories.

Sitting at the local diner a 11pm was a strange thing. Mostly it was a dead shift, the waitress' looked bored as hell from the lack of customers and everyone commenting on the snow, hoping that they don't get snowed in. Elsa is glad that she didn't have to work tonight or tomorrow, she'll hear all about how grocery was empty of bread and milk in her next shift.

As time dragged on Anna would talk about her finals, her friend Kristoff, the passing comment on Hans when Elsa asked, ("he's such a fucking asshole" the redhead said while moodily sipping her 4th hot chocolate). Anna did prop some information about Elsa's home life from her, how work was, how Belle was, the plans for winter/Christmas break.

After the late dinner, they both walk outside and say their goodbyes. Anna hugs Elsa again and before the blonde can say anything else, the redhead gently kisses her and walks away.

* * *

Or that's what she _thinks_ what happened.

Elsa reanalysis the scene over and over again, sometimes she thinks that Anna kissed her on the mouth, other times on the cheek.

She doesn't really believe that a girl like that could actually be attracted to someone like her, but it fucked her up nonetheless.

* * *

Anna ignored her texts and calls although the holidays. Eventually Elsa gets tired of this and decides to stop trying to form some kind of communication when there is none.

She also didn't have time for this when at 3am Christmas morning, Belle calls her to tell her that Adam broke up with her and kicked her out. So Elsa, being the good friend she is, decides to drive out there and pick up the brunette from the side of a country road in god knows where, but it's where Adam lives.

Back at their apartment Elsa makes tea while Belle tells her about the arguments, the flaws that he had, the eventual end where he threw all of her shit in a box and kicked her out. Elsa brings the tea and sits down, thinking all the while.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

"Hm?"

"Don't give me that. I know you're thinking about something….or someone." Belle adds the last part as an afterthought.

The blonde comes clean. She tells her about Anna, the few moments they spent together, the not really friends but not really acquaintance relationship they have, the kiss.

"I didn't really think she would like, actually ask me out on a date or anything. I figure it was just…I dunno, an experiment?"

"You're not an experiment Elsa."

"I know but…"

"But?"

"I doubt that anyone will actually want to be with me…you know what happened with her."

"Ah, her. You never said anything specific about what happened, but…she tried to change you didn't she?"

".…Yes. How I thought….how I acted or dressed….even how I spoke certain words."

"Cheated on you too."

"...Yeah."

"It's not your fault that she didn't know what she wanted Elsa. It's not anyone's fault but hers."

The two lapsed into silence for a while. Belle pulled her into a hug and let the younger of the two silently cry.

"Sides, just because that she-devil and Anna didn't want you….it does not prove your worth as a person. And we're going to work on that, okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

The cold bitter winter was over, finally.

And for once, Elsa felt happy.

A lot of major good things we're happening all at once. She finally graduated, she was working on herself, getting better at her outlook on life. Before she graduated, Belle confessed that she did like Elsa, that if she wanted, they could try dating. Going really slow of course, but it was something that was nice, casual, no pressured.

It was in this mood that familiar red hair was in front of her as she ordered her morning coffee.

"Elsa!"

"Hello Anna, I see you got a job here."

"Yeah." Anna gestured to her work uniform, black on black with a dark blue apron. "It's going well, even if I mess up a lot of orders…how are you?"

"I've been well, very well actually."

"It's good to see you smile…it's really nice."

"Thank you."

Pause.

"Hey Elsa?"

"Yeah?"

"About last winter…I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For…well…you know, I didn't know what I was doing and I thought…at the time…."

"It's alright."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." Anna gets handed a paper cup of hot coffee, she hands it to Elsa. Money is passed over that goes into the tip jar and the blonde has a soft smile on her face. Sometimes things don't have resolutions, sometimes a moment happens and then it's gone. Such is life.

"Anna, take care of yourself."

"You too."


End file.
